Gangtok: At a time when the Centre has made
education a fundamental right, government schools in Sikkim
face a dire shortage of basic amenities due to the state
government`s failure to prepare an annual plan, according to
the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
A significant 19 percent schools do not have toilets for
students at all. 51 percent did not have toilets either for
boys or girls and 31 percent have common ones for them, the
CAG has revealed in its audit report for the year 2008-09.
About 34 percent schools have no drinking water
facilities, while 38 percent have no playground, it said.
In a state that boasts of self sufficiency in
electricity, 69 percent schools are deprived of it, the
auditor said and flayed the Human Resources Development
Department (HRDD) for failure to prepare an annual plan for
construction of infrastructure in schools and frame a
comprehensive policy for imparting quality education.
In addition to the inadequacy of infrastructure and basic
facilities in schools in Sikkim, the CAG report also expressed
concern at a high drop out rate in the state.
The auditor observed that the drop out rate by class V
was 42 percent and by class VIII 61 percent.
The CAG noted that about 45 percent schools had
shortage of teachers while there was an excess in over 20 percent for which the state government incurred an excess annual
expenditure of Rs 8 lakh.
The auditor criticised the HRDD officials for
compromising dissemination of quality education to students by
appointing untrained teachers instead of those with basic
skilled required for the profession.
The rate of untrained teachers in lower primary schools
stood at 26 percent, 19 percent in primary schools, 37 percent in junior secondary schools and 35 per cent in senior
secondary schools by 2008-2009, the CAG said and castigated
the officials concerned for their failure to fix a year-wise
target for training of teachers.
PTI
